Flexible, extensible, and compressible tube with regular passage section



A. MICHAUDET FLEXIBLE, EXTENSIBLE, AND COMPRESSIBLE TUBE WITH REGULAR PASSAGE SECTION Dec. 23, 1952 Filed Aug. 15, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET l INVENTOR -ALFRED MICHAUOET BY I ATTORNEYS D- 3, 1952 A. MICHAUDET 2,622,623

FLEXIBLE, EXTENSIBLE, AND COMPRESSIBLE TUBE WITH REGULAR PASSAGE SECTION Filed Aug. 1a, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 [Aw/vtoR ALFRED Nun/wan AT TORNE rs Patented Dec. 23, 1952 FLEXIBLE, EXTENSIBLE, AND COMPRES- SIBLE TUBE WITH REGULAR PASSAGE SECTION Alfred Michaudet, Reims, Marne, France, assignor to Les Produits Du Lynx Jaune, Reims, Marne, France, a company of France Application August 13, 1946, Serial No. 690,116 In France November 25, 1938 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires November 25, 1958 2 Claims.

The object of my invention is to provide a hose or flexible tube made of natural or artificial rubber, rubber surrogate or any other flexible material, which may be stretched, shortened and bent without the provided passage section being modified and without the geometrical shape of said section being changed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tube which is substantially constituted by a wall made of flexible material comprising parts of a pre-determined diameter forming the socalled conduit cross-section, enlarged or narrowed parts coming in turns with the first and forming a bellows next, reinforcing elements such as clamps, clips, rings or the like, wrap the parts making the so-called conduit.

Said reinforcing elements may be realized in many manners, as to be seen farther on.

A further object of my invention is to provide such a tube, the wall of which comprises, from distance to distance, cylindrical parts which afford the possibility of fitting the tube with clamping or looking rings ensuring the tightness of connections.

The tube according to the present invention affords, besides the above mentioned properties, the advantages of saving the amount of rubber required for the manufacture of said tube due to the co-operation of said reinforcing members to the maintenance of the invariable section, and of preserving under inner or outer fall of pressure a perfect shape of the parts making the socalled conduit.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the description and claims.

In the drawings, in which embodiments of my invention are illustrated:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a, tube according to the invention provided with circular bellows and ribs.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the tube shown Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows the same tube in bended position.

Fig. 4 shows another modification of the invention in which the bellows and rib or the tube are of helical shape.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal view of Fig. 4.

Figures 6, '7 and 8 are sectional views, each of which shows several modifications.

The tube (Figs. 1 to 3) is constituted by a body made of rubber or similar material comprising bellows in the shape of circular rings, such as I, which make the tube extensible; ribs in the shape of circular rings with rectangular section such as 2 and used as reinforcement or hoops; cylindrical flat parts placed at intervals such as 3 afford the possibility of fitting the tube with clamping or locking rings ensuring the tightness of its connection with rigid pipes or nozzles.

The tube (Figs. 1 to 3) affords, by means of bellows I, the possibility of stretching out or shortening, according to its axis, which particularly facilitates bending without appreciable deformation of section as shown Fig. 3. Ribs 2 stifien the tube wall against outside pressures and preserve a perfectly circular tube section. At the bends, the ribs 2 prevent the flattening of the tube and maintain, even for small bending radius. a, non-distorted section ensuring a wide passage to fluids or gas.

In spite of differences in the internal section of the tube, due to the presence of bellows, a tight connection with a rigid pipe or a rigid nozzle remains easy due to cylindrical flat parts 3 which may be surrounded with clamping or locking rings.

Numerous modifications may be made to the tube above described as an example.

More particularly, the tube shown Figs. 4 and 5, illustrates another modification of the inventicn, in' which I is a continuous accordion bel-- lows of helical shape and 2 is a rectangular sectioned stiiiening rib also of helical shape.

The helices formed by the bellows on the one hand and by the rib on the other hand, have same pitch and are displaced of 180 according to the well known arrangement of double threaded screws.

From distance to distance, cylindrical flat parts 3 are provided to ensure the tight connection or the rubber tube with rigid pipes or nozzles.

According to Figure 6, a tube made of rubber or other similar material comprises cylindrical parts I and intermediate circular bellows l a1 ternating one another.

According to a first form of execution, ribs 2 are gathered, in course of moulding for in stance, with the cylindrical parts i. For instance, the rib 2 is constituted by a rubber ring having on the inner side a circular groove 4 in which is located a circular projection 5 produced by the material of the cylindrical part l Said projection is obtained, for instance, by blowing the tube in the mould, with the effect of pushing back its malleable material in the groove 4.

Rib 6 is constituted in a manner similar to rib 2 with a ring shaped groove. Here, a closed ring of metallic wire 1 is inlaid in the groove of rib (i and is set in the material of the cylindrical part l In fact, said metallic ring is used both for reinforcing said part of the tube and for making a joint between the elements l and 6.

The rib 8 is constituted in a manner similar to rib 2 and also comprises a groove in which engages a projection 5 of the cylindrical part I Moreover, a clamp 9 constituted by a flanged stamped metallic part 9' encircles rib 8.

Rib 9" encircles with a cylindrical wall the cylindrical part l of the tube. Said rib is also encircled with a clamp l constituted by a stamped metallic part, wrapping said rib and having a bent up Wing l0 inserted and imbedded in the rib El and in the material of the cylindrical wall l of the tube.

Clamp I9 is provided at the end of wing it with a rim H and said wing I0 is provided with port-holes !2, so that the fluid material of the tube, running through the port-holes l2 imbeds the wing it and the wing edge H, which ensures a perfect anchorage of clamp it.

In 7, the tube is still constituted by cyline drical arts E3 and by enlargements I4 making a bellows. Here the whole length of cylindrical parts it is encircled by metallic clamps, say

from one enlargement to the other. From left t right, the upper part of Fig. '7 shows a metallic clamp l5 of regular cylindrical shape wrapping the cylindrical part is of the tube and provided with two raised edges l6, H, which are set in the base of the widening parts [.4 making bellows. The cylindrical part 13 is provided with a longitudinal circular rib is and. according. to the lower part of Fig. '7, the clamp has a halfround section it encasing the projection It, as well as rims 2t imbedded in the tube material.

The annular projection 2| formed upon the following upper cylindrical part of the tube is wrapped in a clamp correspondingly shaped. Likewise, clamp 23 is so stamped as to comprise a housing 26. and setting in ends 25.

Clamp 26 is provided with windows or recesses 27 into which a collar 28 is formed through hot upsetting of the tube material.

The recess edges 21 are inwardly lowered to form anchorage parts 28. Clamp 3,8 is of a cylindrical shape; said clamp 39 is fixed by means of a member SI and is'provided with rims which are inlaid in the bellows elements It. Ring 33 is provided with edges alternatively cut out and stamped according to their diameters, so as to reinforce the cylindrical parts of the tube. cylindrical parts thus withstand inner pressures according to diameter 34 and outer pressures according to diameter 35. On the under side, the clamp is constituted by a U-shaped part 36 provided at both wings with rims 3i, improving the maintenance therefrom when said wings are inlaid in the rubber wall of the tube.

The modifications above described are more particularly designed for conduits having to withstand outer pressures.

Fig. 8 shows successive forms of execution appropriate to the case of-conduits having towithstand inner pressures.

Left of Fig. 8 part 39 of the tube is bent up in the shape of a V and a clamp 4.0 of same material is inlaid between the branches of said v. For this purpose, the bellows elements 4| are cons 'tuted by narrowings of the tube, instead of being constituted by enlargements, as shown in the preceding figures. The cylindrical parts 12 are wrapped in metallic clamps the 4 end of which properly bent are inlaid in the tube material. Clamp 43 may be provided with stamped out holes 44, the cut up metallic part being inwardly bent at 45 through which an excellent anchorage in rubber is obtained.

Likewise, clamp 45 wraps the whole cylindrical part of the tube and is provided with holes 4! the edge of which is straightened at 48 to be inlaid in the tube material. The lower part of said figure shows a perforation 49 bored in clamp 46 the lateral edges of which wrap the cylindrical part of the tube.

On the right of Fig. 8, the clamp comprises two rings 58, 5|, set in one another at 52. The lower part shows an alternative of the rim 53 provided with holes 55 through which flows the fluid material of the tube by means of which the clamp is tightly anchored.

A flexible tube comprising cylindrical parts connected through enlarged or narrowed parts making a bellows has been described. The features of the invention illustrated in Figures 68 also apply to a flexible tube provided with a helical part of a given diameter, making the so-called conduit, and with an enlarged or narrowed helical part making the bellows, the spirals of the first part coming in turn with the spirals of the second part. In this case, the above described clamps and their various modifications should be constituted by a continuous band, also helical, encircling the tube part making the so-called conduit while maintaining and reinforcing said part.

The clamps, collars, rings, or belts, according to the invention, may be mounted in various manners. For instance, said clamps or similar members may be arranged in recesses provided for the purpose in the mould in which the tube is to be moulded, or else they may be set upon the latter afterwards. The clamps, for instance, may be provided with fastening members which may be fastened and loosened by means or" suitable tools such as pliers.

The so-called tube may be made of natural or synthetic rubber or of any other flexible material. The helical clamps, collars, rings or belts used for reinforcement or support may be made of metal or of plastic material.

The tubes according to the invention may be used for many purposes, viz. as conduits for any kind of products, conduits for fluids under pressure, vacuum conduits, as well as for making the body of various articles such as grease guns, syringes, pulverizers, pumps and other similar apparatuses.

Further modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art and it is desired, therefore, that the invention be limited only by the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent l. A tube made of flexible material, comprising in alternation axially spaced stiffening ribs and inwardly open, accordion-shaped, outwardly projecting parts adapted to act after the manner of bellows and having internal cavities, the walls of said cavities being V-shaped in cross section, the apices of the walls of said cavities extending outwardly to be at least in alinement with the outer periphery of said stiffening ribs.

2. A tube made of flexible material, comprising in alternation a helical stifiening rib and inwardly open, accordion-shaped, outwardly projecting parts adapted to act after the manner 5 of bellows, said parts being helically inserted between said stiffening helical ribs and having internal cavities, the walls of said cavities being V-shaped in cross section, the apices of the Walls of said cavities extending outwardly, to be at least in alinement with the outer periphery of said stifiening ribs.

ALFRED NIICHAUDET.

REFERENCES CITED Number Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Connell Mar. 9, 1937 Welger Sept. 28, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Italy Dec. 19, 1932 Germany Mar. 8, 1930 France Jan. 13, 1936 France June 7, 1938 

